Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-10-14
How AHlaSa Snow Got On His Feet.

his stove iull OF WOOu anu Teu nut. Ills
office was about rod from his house,
and quite near the high wooden gate
leading into the village street. Over the
door read, "Prothoaotary and Attorney
at-law." 1t was huge, faded sign IN
black letters; one could not 60 by
Amasa Shows office and not know OF
the business its occupant. The trouble
with the sign was it was not alluring
enough. Squire Slayton, down the
street, with a very small sign and over
grocery store, and without big white
house, and family name and connection
Squire Slayton somehow got all the
business there was going on in East
Chesterville. Amasa Snow sat tilted
back in his wooden armchair, pulling
his long thin beard, scratching the few
gray hairs on his slopng gray head, and
trying TO conjure up some new scheme
by which he could beat Slayton again,
and defer the fore-c closure sale. lie had
deferred it i've times on one excuse and
another, but Slayton had him this time;
there was no help for it. The old place
would have to be sold-the old place
where his boyhood had been passed un-
til he went to college, and where he had
lived ever since and seen his six girls
grow up about him. His six motherless
girls. lie reached down and broke a
splinter off bit of pine-wooG by the
stove, and began to chew hard on it.
What would become of the girls? Every
one beauty in his eyes; every one
worthy of marrying the Governor of the
State. How could he tell them that the
sale of their old home could be post
poned no longer; that every device and
trick, and every legal quibble had been
tried and tried again? He dared not
tell the girls. He looked out of the win
dow; it was raining. An April shower,
to be sure, with the prospect of golden
sunset later on, but making everything
outside under the trees look very muddy
and dismal. .Amasa Snow felt very
much oppressed. Fate appeared to be
against him.
There were his law books-a couple of
hundred dingy calf volumes, not kept
up to date, the Inheritance from the
judge, his father, but even the law books
were 'chatteled, as they said, !. e., mort
gagged, quite beyond their value. Every
thing he had, in fact, was mortgaged.
He had come this wet April day 10 the
end of things. Next week came the
sale. He felt like saying-the deluge.
He had not enough money to take him
and his family out west.
That was his plan-to 60 West. He
hardly felt his fifty years. He feltyOung
and energetic when he thought of the
West. By-the-by, there was his broth
er, Elisha-his brother who in his youth
was so like him. He was West-in CAL
iforna. He had not seen him for twen-
ty years. The last he had heard from
him was request to send on hundred
dollars. That was five years ago. He
had sent him fifty, and nothing had been
heard from Elisha since, except his name
endorsed across the back Of the check,
showing that he had received the mon
ey.
No, it was clear that Elisha could
never help him. Elisha had caused him
to lose several thousand dollars once in
a mine. Elisha's name was always a
great bugbear in his family since. No,
Elisha could not be expected to help
him. Stay! An idea. Amasa Snow
began to poke the red-hot fire vigorous
ly. 1t was bleak, raw day, but the
fire. was hot enough in that little office
if left alone. An idea. Elisha should
be made to help him, II was last hope,
hut it fired him with enthusiasm. lie
reached up into dusty book case and
got uOW II q ulC vi ICllClss liz az lOOh-
ing for Elisha's address.
Just then there came tap at the Of
flee door. Amasa turned round. by
Georgen' he cried, nearly carried off
his feet with astonishment. It's Elisha
- in propria persona"
Il have come home," said Elisha,
meekly. 81 have come home to neigh
Dor round"
"And just in the nick of time, Elisha.
Mighty glad am to see you" Then
thought occurred to him, as he shook
his brother's hand with that feeble wave
in the air so common in Southern Con-
necticut, he would not tell Elisha of his
financial condition. He might not help
him If he did. No, he would keep his
own counsel.
The two brothers sat down by the
stove, and kmasa threw another stick Of
soft pine on the fire. 1t was frightful-
ly hot. "See here, Elisha" he said after
a pause. "How's the Grand American
Eagle a-doin' 2"
"She isn't a-doin' :"
"Nothin' at all:"
"No; hasn't been for ten years"
at was a splendid mine once, Elisha.
You used to say so.''
$50 il was. But we struck hard pan
you remember about it. What's the
use of rakin' over old personalities at
this time, when ought to be received
with open arms, and bonfire lighted.
and fire. works touched OFF,"